Last week Thursday, the University of Belize held an academic forum at its central campus in Belmopan to discuss the issue of an elected senate. It will go to the electorate in a referendum next week and both speakers, former Senators Godwin Hulse and Eamon Courtenay say they support an elected senate as a watchdog. Senator Courtenay spoke from his experience as a former senator minister – and said that the senate is needed to police big government.
Eamon Courtenay, Former Senator for PUP
"The problems that we have in our government is that a Minister, a CEO, a head of department can determine tomorrow that, you know I need a new SUV, and you can go to these car places right out here on the highway and you can sign and say this one is for government and walk out with it and then they send the bill to government and government would say they didn't follow the proper procedure and the person is driving the vehicle. There is a process here, the process is not followed and nothing happens. Why? The Auditor General who is supposed to audit all of this is so far behind in his work, has no resources to complete his work, and when he does his work and sends it to the House, the committee that is supposed to check it doesn't do it.
We are saying that they should be elected. Why? So that nobody could move you. Nobody can remove you. You are elected by the people to serve a term of four years and you do your job. If you don't do your job, the people could kick you out. One thing I can tell you is that if you go into that polling station and choose not to participate, you are in effect saying that you are satisfied with the system of government that we have and whatever has happened can happen again and I am satisfied with that."
Godwin Hulse, Former Senator for Business Sector
"However if you compose it right, it will work. The Senate indeed is like a large speed bump and you want it to slow the traffic when it has to slow it and let the traffic through when it needs to go through. And indeed if you slow the traffic you can then look at the license plate, you can look at the details, and that is really what the senate in my mind should be, not to block the government of the day.
Now when you go to the polls on February 7th, I cannot tell you how to vote. I want an elected senate. I have one problem with the timing. And the reason I've had a problem with the timing of the question is that it is such an important question, it is such a fundamental part of the question with respect to your government that I dare not have it corrupted with other issues and that was the problem and is the problem I have with the date because I would have wanted everybody to vote yes but I don't want people to vote no, simply on the basis that they are being told that one side doesn't want or one side wants it and it is tied to the political whims and fancies of one or another. And to mind I thought it was unfortunate that even though it is a stand alone question, it is also a campaign promise for one of the political parties."
Our thanks to Plus TV in Belmopan for that video.
